


The Boy That Becomes Air

by littleberd



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: I'm just taking as many damn liberties as I want to, M/M, Order of the White Lotus, for once, loooooooootssssss mooooooooooooaaaaaar, lots more spirit world interactions, maybe implied mpreg in the future, the irony of who it is is exceptionally funny, the spirit world actually helps, we all know about a certain princess, what if Aang wasn't the avatar, who said rava was the only spirit that could choose a human to inhabit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-26
Updated: 2020-05-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:07:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24351049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littleberd/pseuds/littleberd
Summary: What if Aang wasn't the Avatar? What if he was just a scared little boy that was just a little special? What extent would the spirit world go to to hide the very last airbender until the time was right? And just who is the avatar that Aang needs to teach air bending to?
Relationships: Aang/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 115





	The Boy That Becomes Air

He'd just been playing hide and seek with the other children. But the rules changed a bit when he wasn't the seeker. He'd be the only one hiding. It was exceptionally difficult for the others to locate him, from his very first game to this current one, even when the elders joined in on their search Aang refused to give his hiding place away, but would come out on his own. 

Elder Gyatso would chuckle, "It's like the boy becomes air."

Because his hiding spot? 

Wasn't really a hiding spot.

He would just close his eyes and hum a little melody. And when he'd open them? Everything would be blurry and everyone's voices sounded so muddled as if there were a darkly warped sheer wall separating Aang from them. Granted it did feel a little bit creepy, but that was really the only downside to his little trick. There were fuzzy colorful creatures that buzzed about, dragonfly bunnies, to keep him company.

The mischievous creatures made quick friends of Aang, playing pranks whilst no one could see him. Let's just say nobody tossed pies at Aang anymore, because anyone that dared usually ended up with one plastered to their own face by the end of the same day. His days were filled with pranks and laughter.

But right now? Right now Aang was terrified. 

There were soldiers with helmets that hid their faces behind masks that looked like skulls. And just as their appearance boded, just as death doesn't discriminate, they were merciless. Aang watched with tears in his eyes as his friends, his teachers, his _family_ , was slaughtered before his very eyes.

Aang couldn't breath, sobs wracked his body as his _world_ is burnt to mere embers. The screams, the smells, the taste of ash on his tongue will haunt him for the rest of his life.

And that's how he finds him, a whimpering little monkey of a monk, barely 12 years old in human years.

"... So this is your little human?" The Oasis Guardian Spirit asks the little air spirits at his feet, large ears twitching at the noises it was making, peering at the boy through the brush. His eyes survey the area, sneering in disgust at the absolute destruction. "Despicable creatures... killing _cubs_... attacking the _pacifists_ of their kind for what reason? They have such a short lifespan and yet, they always manage to surprise me with how much **savagery** they can accomplish within that time."

The spirit sighs as the crying slowly dies down, the child having fallen asleep in the throes of sadness and despair.

The spirit, all lanky limbs and flicking tail, meanders over to the small boy, gazing down at the pitiful sight. The dragonfly bunnies part for him, and he simply nudges the boy with a toe. The human rolls over without so much as a whimper. He squints at the docile thing, something like pity fills his stomach. With a begrudging sigh Aye-Aye picks the boy up only to cringe at the feel of snot and tears sinking into his fur.

When Aang opens his eyes again it's to bright yellow eyes squinting at him, Aang blinks up at the spirit but sits up slowly, not in fear but in caution. Aye-Aye had brought the boy to his green little hut, the walls strewn in unusual knickknacks and oddities. The floor melding into the ground seamlessly, and the branches of odd trees shifting through the fabric at the slightest breeze.

"I'm Aang, and you're not a dragonfly bunny..." The boy murmurs softly, just a note of trepidation in his little voice.

Aye-Aye chuckles at that, "No I'm certainly not. But I do know your friends. They brought me to you out of concern, though there's not really much I can do human."

A somber look shadows his face, "Your home has been destroyed. Your Air temple was the last one the Fire Nation got to. But with it being mid spring, and the traditions of the air nomads to reside in an air temple during the season of new life... I'm afraid you're the only air bender alive now... Unlike humans, we spirits do not lie, though I feel this is a very harsh truth to suffer under at such a young age."

Aang shyly latches onto Aye-Aye, the spirit silently accepts the situation when he feels the boy's emotions swirl, not a hint of anger just a deep deep sadness, as fresh tears dampen his fur in a sticky mess, hands patting the tiny head. "Let it all out kiddo, let it all out... We spirits don't normally mess in the affairs of humans but you've become the exception. You can call me Master Aye-Aye and you'll be living with me from now on Sticky."

Aang pulls back and tilts his head, "Sticky?"

Aye-Aye smirks, "Yep! Sticky, Spirits don't really acknowledge human names unless they've proven themselves. But to get a nickname from a spirit is a very rare form of endearment. Feel lucky Sticky, cuz I've only given one other human a nickname and he was the very first Avatar."

Aang pouts at that, "But if that's all I'm ever called... I might forget my real name."

Aye-Aye's grin grows, "Not if I do this!"

Aang yelps as his arm stings. When Aang looks at it again, there, in dark black calligraphy, is his name on his skin.

"That's AMAZING!" Aang grins, hand ghosting over the letters in awe.

Aye-Aye preens at the praise and attention. "It's not all _that_ amazing. Just a simple enchantment. It's a wise question you asked pipsqueak, the Spirit world is as dangerous as it can be beautiful, especially for a little kid like you. Those friends of yours are a rare bunch, most spirits would've killed you on the spot for entering their territory. Speaking of which, how _did_ you get into the spirit world. Only the Avatar can get in here with their body usually, and a few enlightened humans that are extra wrinkly."

Aang nibbles on his lip, "I don't remember who taught me... but all I do is close my eyes and hum a little song. And when I open them again, I'm here. I do the same thing if I want to get back."

Aye-Aye eyes the boy, not sensing any lying on the boy's part, the kid truly had forgotten, he must have earned the favor of an extremely powerful spirit or creature... and to have it at such a young age. Just who was this kid, really?

Aye-Aye slaps his face out of his thoughts, "I don't know who it was, but be grateful. They saved your hide. Anyway, the real reason why I'm taking care of you rather than someone else, is because I'm going to be your teacher. The Avatar will need your guidance. The council of Spirits has agreed that the Avatar needs to survive until they're old enough to be taught. The Avatar can always be reincarnated... but if you die without making children... Then it's very possible that the avatar will never again learn how to master air. But to us spirits, we need not worry about genders to copulate. And no matter how much the world needs them from you, it will be your choice to have children or not. So we've given you a gift. Something no other human will ever have. You can impregnate or _be_ impregnated. With this, even if you fall in love with another male, you can still have children."

Aang's eyes widen to the size of dinner plates, "But Monk Gyatso said only girls can have babies... YOU TURNED ME INTO A GIRL!?!?!"

Aang looks into his pants in fear, Aye-Aye cackles at him. But Aang's fears are swiftly calmed as he sees nothing amiss. "How-"

Aye-Aye wipes the tears from his eyes, "Silly, silly human. You're still _male_ , as _I_ have always been male. But we both can bare children, just as we both can impregnate. You've the ability of the spirits now. You're not confined to only being with a female. You can have children with who ever you want."

"Who ever I want? But what if they don't want _me_?" Aang murmurs.

Aye-Aye's grin tilts in endearment, "Another wise question. Love is like a plant, in order for it to bloom you must sew the seeds and nurture it's growth. But if one over waters it, the roots will rot and it will die, not enough sun and it will wither. And if it is not given constant attention a greedy hand might pluck it and steal it away. Love is a plant that requires more than one gardener to flourish."

Aang rubs his face in worry, "But what if my plant is a cactus? Or a moon orchid? What if my plant doesn't even have flowers?"

Aye-Aye shakes his head at the boy, "It's half the fun figuring out what plant it will become. And you have many years ahead of you before you'll be allowed into the human world unchaperoned again. It'll likely be a while before you even find your other gardener."

Aang smiles at that, "Yeah, kissing is gross grownup stuff anyway."

Aye-Aye snickers at the boy's response, "Gross grownup stuff... yeah, I can see that. But in the mean time... you'll be residing here, and during your stay you'll be taught spirit world etiquette. Goodness knows the Avatar is going to need it if Wan was anything to go off of. As for you furthering your bending, that will be a bit trickier. A certain bird brain is willing to lend you air bending kata scrolls that his servants managed to scavenge. But not even the Avatar can use their bending in the spirit world. So every trip to the human world will be scheduled and heavily guarded. You'll need to make the most of these trips so you'll be practicing the forms even when you're not in the human world." 

Aang's head droops at the reminder. His entire culture was just destroyed in one fell swoop. He was the only air bender alive in the spirit world _and_ the human world.

"I... I think I'm gonna go to sleep... Today... Has been the worst." Aang's trembling is back, but his eyes are heavy with trauma and the weight of the genocide of his people.

Aye-Aye nods in understanding, awkwardly hugging Aang, "Yeah, today has not been a very good day Sticky. Get some sleep, and... If you need anything I'll be sleeping in the tree just outside."

Aye-Aye pats Aang's head one last time before pushing the curtain away from the entrance, "Good night Aang."


End file.
